Think you’re an expert on the superhero movies of the summer of 2011? Think again. You may know Green Lantern and Captain America, but those guys are just prancing around in fiction — the guys in the documentary Superheroes are doing it for real. Michael Barnett’s film about some legitimate street warriors with big hearts, big guts and, yes, costumes, has been a festival favorite since premiering at this year’s Slamdance Film Festival. After it screens next week at San Diego’s Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival, Superheroes will air on HBO August 8.

To get you ready for Superheroes, we have the film’s official movie poster …

… and we’d like to introduce you to four of the Superheroes, a group of fellas who take their own brand of crime-fighting very seriously. Serious enough to throw on a mask and a utility belt when duty calls. Of course, you’d think they were loony just for putting on a costume, but that’s not much compared to what they actually do. That’s a whole other level of crazy.

Mr. Xtreme
A sight in neon and camouflage (um, doesn’t the neon defeat the purpose?), Mr. Xtreme beats back violent crime in San Diego before it happens. G’head, you try it.

Zimmer
A proud gay man, Zimmer walks the beat in Brooklyn, NY, fighting injustice and putting the smackdown on homophobia and gay hatred.

Dark Guardian
The best name of the bunch belongs to the guy who invites the most danger: He willingly goes to where drug deals take place in public, hoping to shield the young and innocent and get rid of the drug dealers. Now that’s a drug czar.

Life
Kind. Generous. Jewish. This guy helps take care of the homeless throughout Manhattan, dedicated to a better world for all, one small daily necessity at a time. We’re all comparatively selfish in his presence.

Superheroes is currently playing at the Fantasia Festival. More details on the film are available at the movie’s official Facebook page.